Third Time's the Charm
by Nightengale
Summary: Three Valentine's Days in Sam's life. Sometimes it takes Sam a while to get it right, but he always does in the end. -Het and Slash-


"Chocolates? You have got to be kidding me."

"Please just take them, Maya," Sam replied with a sigh in his voice.

Maya grabbed the heart shaped box out of Sam's hand and dropped them onto the counter. Sam sighed again and sat down on the stool beside him.

"I'm trying to apologize."

"Chocolates aren't the best way to do that regardless if it's Valentine's Day," She said.

Sam huffed and crossed his arms too. "What do you want me to say, Maya? I'm DCI now and I have-"

"Sam, that's not it!" she interrupted him harshly smacking the counter.

"Well, what then?" Sam said bristling. "I'm sorry about what I said today. I know I shouldn't have said that to you and definitely not at work but its hard us seeing each other and me being in my position now. You know that; you knew the change would be hard. I told you we could-"

"Sam," She said stopped him, placing her hands flat on the counter. "It's not that. It's not you being a DCI and me being a DI. It's you. You've changed. You've gone all… You're just…. You don't let me in anymore!"

Maya shouted the last bit and nearly growled in frustration. Sam could see tears forming at the corner of her eyes and she turned her head away from him momentarily. Wiping at her eyes, she shook her head. Looking back at him she smiled briefly.

"I just… I just feel like you don't even want to try anymore. Just seeing each other at work, us doing our jobs; you don't feel like you even care about what I have to say, like you don't care about me…"

She trailed off and Sam felt his chest tighten because he knew she wasn't wrong. Something had changed but he couldn't quite tell what it was. He still loved Maya, he did. She was the best girl who had ever come into his life. Lately though he'd lost sight of it, he knew that. It was as if he was looking for something else, something not her.

Sam stood up abruptly and walked around the counter, turning Maya around by her shoulders to face him.

"I'm sorry, Maya," he said definitively. "You're right I have been… distant lately and I'm sorry. Its work getting in the way and… well, I… I'm going to try and be better."

For a moment Maya was silent then she stepped back from him gripping the counter. She looked away out the window.

"I don't know if you can, Sam," She replied.

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When Sam looked up he saw Annie standing in front of his desk. From the look on her face she must have been standing there for a while. Her lips were a tight line and her arms were crossed over her chest. Sam tried to think quickly and figure out what he'd done. Unfortunately Annie beat him to it.

"You don't even know."

"I, uh…"

Annie sighed loudly and threw up her hands. "You completely forgot!"

"No, I didn't forget," Sam said leaning back in his chair trying to look confident.

Annie, however, was having none of it. "Don't start, Sam. I can tell when you're lying."

Sam swallowed slowly and sat up straight. He tried to look sufficiently ashamed and nodded.

"Ok, you're right, what have I forgotten?"

Annie only sighed again, putting a hand over her eyes. She stood like that for a moment, leaving Sam squirming. He decided it wouldn't be the best idea to say something smart about it being no help for her to just sigh at him.

"I can't believe you just forgot…" Annie muttered.

"Is it our anniversary?" Sam tried making Annie look at him. "I don't think so because I am fairly cer-"

"God, Sam, No!" Annie snapped. "It's Valentine's Day."

Sam closed his eyes quickly and mentally kicked himself.

"Yeah," Annie said dryly.

Sam opened his eyes. She was staring at him hard. Clearly, he was a terrible boyfriend and was not going to be able to talk his way out of missing the holiday. Why did Valentine's Day have to be an important holiday anyhow?

Biting his lip Sam tried to salvage the situation. "I could make us a reservation at-"

"No, Sam," Annie said, waving a dismissive hand. "Just don't bother."

Annie reached into her pocket and pulled out a small box. She placed it firmly on his desk.

"Happy Valentine's Day," She said and turned away.

"Annie, I'm sor…" Sam called after her, standing up, but she kept walking.

Inside the red wrapped box was a watch with a black leather strap. Watching her retreating form, Sam smacked himself in the forehead.

"Idiot…"

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Gene looked up slowly from the magazine on his desk as Sam walked into his office. He stood half way between the door and the desk, looking calmly at Gene with a smile on his face. For a moment they just stared at each other until Gene caved.

"Well, what then?"

Sam just grinned further and sat down in the chair across from Gene's desk, looking at everything except Gene.

"Are you just going to sit there grinning like a ponce or tell me why it is you've come in here and disturbed me?"

"Everyone's gone home," Sam replied calmly propping up his boots on the edge of Gene's desk.

Gene sat up straight and didn't actually knock Sam's feet off his desk. Instead he smiled slowly and leaned back in his chair.

"That so?"

Sam just nodded, picking at some nonexistent dust on his jacket. "Chris just turned off his light and ran saying something about a 'date,' though I don't know if that's true."

"You never know," Gene said playing along with Sam's little farce. "Might've been able to rustle up some desperate bird for the holiday."

Finally, Sam looked at Gene and smirked. "How charitable of you to think so, Guv."

Gene just grinned back at him and stood up. Coming around the edge of his desk, Gene stood beside Sam's reclining form gazing down at him.

"You going to just leave me standing here?" Gene said, clearly trying to keep the anticipation out of his voice.

"Maybe," Sam said looking up at Gene.

Gene crossed his arms and pursed his lips. "Oh really?"

"No," Sam replied and stood up leaving only a centimeter or two between both men.

A smile breaking out on his face, Gene laughed lightly. "Can't resist the Gene Genie, can you?"

"Not at all," Sam replied, pulling Gene's face to his by the back of Gene's neck and kissing him.

Gene reacted at once, pulling Sam's body against him and kissing Sam back. All the anticipation of before translated itself into almost savage kisses and Gene's hands gripping at the small of Sam's back. Gene kissed Sam so hard that he pushed Sam back against the chair with enough force to almost knock them both to the ground.

When they came up for air Sam tangled his hands in Gene's hair and spoke against the other man's cheek. "Happy Valentine's Day."

Gene just chuckled.


End file.
